Folding chicken-coop



(No Model.)

L. MATTHEWS.. FOLDING CHICKEN GOOI.

Patented Aug. 7, 1894.

No. 524,259. z. -f

A TTUHN E YS4 Y To all whom it may concern,.-

' j UNITED STATES l PATENT QEEICE..L

LUTHER MATTHEWS, or PARIS, TENNESSEE.

FOLDING CHICKEN-COOP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 5221.259, dated August '7, 1894.

' Applicationiiled March 15, 1894. Serial No. 503,749. (No model.)

in the peculiar and novel manner hereinafter irst described in detail, and then pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, in whichn Figure 1 is a perspective yiew of my improved coop the parts being opened out showing the coop ready for use. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same showing the top removed, one of the ends folded down in full lines, and one of the sides shown down in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a transverse section view of the coop knocked down and folded, and Fig. 5 is a detail cross section on the line l A5*5 Fig. 1.

In the practical construction of my improved coop the same embodies a bottom portion, side and end portions hinged thereto, a detachable top portion, and locking means whereby such parts are held secure in either the unfolded or folded positions. The coop proper may be formed vin practice of either wire network, slatted members, or a combination of slat and wire portions.

In the drawings I have shown, and for inexpensiveness I prefer to form the bottom Aof wood,centrally of which is formed an eye or staple a to which is pivotally secured a pair of screw bolts B B of dierent lengths for a purpose presently explained. At the sides of the bottom, strips C C are secured which prof ject up a distance equal the thickness of the ends, and to such strips are hinged, to fold inward, the sides D D, which as well as the ends and top is made of suitable skeleton framing and woven wire as shown. The end pieces E are hinged directly to vthe bottom piece to fold inward, and at the upper ends such end n pieces have studs e, for a purpose presently explained.

So far as described it Will be readily understood by reference to Fig. 2, that by first turning the end members down on the bottom piece, and then the sides down onto the end sections the body of the coopl will be packed flat in a space equal the thickness of the bottom, the ends and side portions.

F indicates the top section which is formed substantially as shown in Fig. 1, its end members havingsockets f,f, which when the coop is arranged for use, fits over the studs e on the end members E, and holds such members from being pushed inward, and such top F has centrally an apertured bearing portion f through which is adapted to pass the threaded end of either one of the lock bolts B B', on which is adapted to be secured the lock nut H'. It will be noticed by reference' to Fig. 2, such bolts B and B are'of different lengths, the shorter one B, being of a length sufficient to project up through thetop when the coop is folded to its compact form, while the other B is of a length sufficient to extend up through such top when the coop is adapted for use as shown in Fig. 1. By thus providing two bolts of unequal length, a simple and eectiveV means is provided for holding the several parts locked either in the extended or folded position, it being obvious that by hinging'the ends and sides to fold inward, they cannot be swung outward beyond a vertical position, and by arranging the end pieces sections hinged to fold inward hat onto the `9 bottom,side sections hinged to fold Hat onto the end sections, a pair of screw bolts of unequal length pivotally secured centrally to the bottom, a removable top having a central aperture anda Alock nut adapted to,be fitted loo A 1o ends, a detachable top member having a central aperture adapted to receive alternately the said threaded ends, as the crate is folded or adjusted to an extended position, awinged nut adapted to fit the projected end of such bolts, all arranged substantially as shown and I 5 described.

LUTHER MATTHEWS.

Witnesses:

H. T. BLANTON, A. E. VVRIGHT. 

